Positioning device for railway-car couplers



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,351

- A. a. SMALL PQSITIONING DEVICE FOR RA'ILWAY CAR courmm's Original Filed June 16, 1926 ArflmrE'. 871211 Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES I V 1,695,351 PATENT, OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

POSITIONING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-OAR. CO'UPLERS.

Original application fiIed'June 1a, 1926, Serial couplers are mounted in the cars so as to permit a limited amount of lateral movement; Such limitation is necessary and essential because if the couplers were allowed to move too far to either side, thecouplers of the two cars being coupled would pass each other and not couple, thereby defeating the object of the automatic coupler. The greater the lateral movement of a coupler the less side presssure on the striking casting! when the cars are going around curves. This lateral pressure forces the wheel flanges against the rail causing considerable friction and wearing of the rails and wheels. Oneof the objects of the invention is to increase the amount of permissible lateral movement of a coupler by providing auto matic means for returning the couplers to the longitudinal center of the car or at least close enough'thereto so that the automatic couplers will couple. This is what is termed the coupling: range. I It is verv often necessary to couple cars on curves and frequently when the radius of the curve is very small, as is common around industrial plants, the couplers of the two cars will be so far out of alignment that they will not automatically couple. Another obiect of the invention is to automatically bring such couplers within coupling range. The outside rail'of a curved track is raised above the inside rail and I provide means whereby the coupler is moved toward the inside of the curve by gravity. This automatic gravity means also returns the coupler to the longitudinalcenter of the car when the car moves from the curved to the straight part of the track.

In my device the lateral movement between the coupler and the carrier is eliminated, thus reducing friction and consequent wear on the parts. This is quite an item particularly in sandy countries because couplers are costly and the replacement of a coupler means keeping the car out of service.

Coupler positioning devices reduces the No. 116,4G7. Divided and this application filed February 2;

Serial No. 251.311.

number of broken knuckles and guard arms on couplers which members are frequently bent or broken when the couplers are not within-coupling range. Such devices-also reduce the number. of accidents to trainmen as they are not required to go between the cars and position the coupler preparatory to coupling.

A common form of car couplerpositioning device comprises a coupler carrier-swingably suspended by links from some part of the car so that the objects and advantages mentioned above are obtained and my invention is an improvement upon such devices and consists in providing a shiftable bearing construction to increase the eccentricity of the weight of the coupler (and its associated parts) about its point of support, thus increasing the resultant forces tending to return the coupler to the longitudinal center of the car (or away therefrom when the car is tipped.) i

In my device the coupler carrier is swingably suspended from any convenient part of the car by a link at each of its ends and is provided with means, such as lugs, to pre vent lateral movement ofothe coupler relative thereto. These links" have a rolling enn'ag'ement with the supporting'car part and the carrier. The engaging surfaces are eccentrio with each other so that upon lateral swing" of the link one of said surfaces rolls upon the other surface and gradually shifts the contacting. or engaging line therebetween. The curved surfaces may be arcuate orof any desired contour.

Thev rolling bearing: construction may be used on one or both links. It may be used to function on one link when the carrier moves in one direction and upon the other link when the carrier moves in the other d1- rection, or it may be applied to one end of one link to function when the link'swings tion and with the carrier moved laterally.

Figsb, 7 8 and 9 showvarlous formsof non-eccentric engaging surfaces between the link and a part of the car.

Figs. 10and 11 show a specific form having certain advantages.

Figs. 12 and 13 show another specific form having certain advantages.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a typical application of the device to a car. In this form the link 2 is pivoted to the carrier 3 by the trunnion 4, or any convenient manner. (Sec Figs. 6-7.) The striking casting (or other car part 5) has a flat surface 6 upon which the curved surface 7 of the link rolls. Figs. 4 and 5 Show this adaptation (with the immaterial parts of the car omitted) in normal and upon extreme lateral movementof t-hecoupler 8.

The contacting engaging eccentric surfaces 1011 of the link and car part, respectively, may both'lbe curved downwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, or both surfaces 1213 may be curved upwardly, asshown in Fig. The engaging surface 14 of the car part may be curved and the engaging surfaces 15 of the link may be flat, as shown in Fig. 7, or vice versa, as shown in Fig. "8. In any of the above the engaging surfaces must be non concentric. When a rolling engagement is used at both ends of the link it is not necessary to make them of the same type (as shown in Fig. 12.) In fact, if the opposite ends of the link are made of opposite types (as shown in Fig. 10 the link could be made symmetrical about its horizontal center which would assure proper assemblage of the device on the car. 7

It is desirable to provide some means to prevent slippage between the engaging surfaces, thus forcing one surface to roll upon the other, thereby maintaining operative relation between the parts of the device. This may be accomplished by a rack and tooth arrangement or by a .single tooth 2O engaging a depression 21 in the other element (Fig. 10) or the link may be held in place resting between oppositely disposed portions '2223 of the car part (or carrier) as shown .in Fig. 4.

In the usual centering device link, which is pivoted at both ends, the eccentricity of the load upon the link is equal to the lateral swing A of the carrier, but in my arrangement this eccentricity is increased by the distance the link rolls upon the car part. In other words, when the carrier moves distance A (Fig. the eccentricity le -distance B, which is greater than A.

As one surface rolls upon the other the effective radius of the link is changed and the parts may be so proportioned as to maintain the same radius, or to increase or decrease it, as desired. In any event the eccentricity of the load about its support is increased.

In the construction shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the link 25 has a rolling engagement with both the car part -5 at its upper end and with the carrier 3 at its lower end. The striking casting (or other part of the car) has an upwardly curved surface 26 over which the eccentric curved surface 27 of the link rolls when the link swings laterally. Thelink is also provided with an upwardly curved surface 28 over which the under eccentric curved surface 29 of the carrier rolls. The eccentricity of the load on the link is not only increased by the distance the upper partof the link rolls upon the car part, but also by the distance the carrier rolls upon the link, which eecentricit 1 is shown as G in 1* is. 5; It will L3 be noted that the contacting line between the carrier and the link is further from the normal vertical center line of the link'than it would be if a pivoted connection were used between thelink and the carried. gaging line between the link of the car part 5' is lowered by having an upwardly curvedsurface on the car part. i i I Fig. 10 shows an application wherein the car part 5 and carrier 3 each present an cecentric curved engaging surface (3031) to the link and the engaging surfaces (32-33) of the link 3-1 are curved toward each other. Asymmetrical link is thus obtained. Fig/11 show. a detail of this linkla. The tooth 20 engages the notch 21 and maintains the desired relation between the parts.

The broad idea of shifting the bearings between the link and a car partand between the link and the carrier (either one or both) is covered by applications for patents, Serial No. I 116,406, and Serial No. 116,408, filed June 16, 1926, which applications also claim certain details of construction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as .it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

' This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 116,407,.fi 1ed June 16, .1926.

I claim:

1. In a railway-car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler vcarrier element, and a pair of "links swinga'bly suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, eccentric engaging surfaces between one of said links and said elements,respectively, extending on both sides of the vnormalcontacting lines between the "respective parts whereby upon lateral swing of the links in either direction the engaging surfaces ll'Oll upon each other and gradually shift the contacting lines therebetween.

2. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler carrier element, and apair of links swingablysuspending the oppositeends of the carrier thereto, one of said links provided with lateral extensions,

The en eccentric rolling engaging surfaces between said extensions and one of said elements, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the plane of contact between the link and its adjacent element is shifted.

3. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler carrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends'of the carrier thereto, one of said links provided with lateral extensions, downwardly projecting eccentric rolling engaging surfaces between said extensions and one of said elements, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the place of contact between the link and its adjacent element is shifted.

4:. In a railway car; the coinbinationofa car part having a slot with downwardly' projecting bearing surfaces on opposite sides thereof, a coupler carrier and a pair of links swingably suspending said carrier from said car part, one of said links having oppositely projecting trunnions at oneend thereof, each trunnion having a downwardly projecting rolling surface eccentric from and engaging said bearing surfaces.

ARTHUR n. SMALL. 

